Ornamental leather and other sheet materials



Jan 30, 119405 A. wem-HEIM 2,183,491

ORNAMENT-AL LEATHER AND OTHER-SHEET MATERIALS Filed March 729,v 1958 Patented Jan. 30, 1940 PATENT oI-Flclil ORNAMENTAL LEATHER AND OTHER SHEET MATERIALS Adolph Wertheim, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application March 29, 1938, Serial No. 198,785

3 Claims.

This invention relates to ornamented sheet material and more particularly, to ornamented or decorative leather and to the method of making the same.

In accordance with the preferred form of the present invention, the leather is ornamented in such manner as to provide a decorative effect l simulating the appearance of metal mesh. The

leather thus ornamented has unimpaired flexibility and softness and can be used for numerous purposes, as for example in shoes, in the uppers or parts thereof, in handbags, belts for dresses and other articles of wearing apparel, etc.

In producing the ornamented material in accordance with this invention, there is utilized in the exposed or decorative side of the material a layer of thin kidskin or other suitable leather or other material having a surface covering or film of pigment containing metal or otherwise, of metallic appearance or a covering of metal leaf as for example gold or silver metal leaf, applied thereto throughout the area thereof. Said coated layer of leather or other suitable material is provided with a multiplicity of small openings or perforations therethrough arranged in accordance with a predetermined desired design. Said perforated layer is attached to a backing layer of thin and flexible leather or other suitable sheet material, being superposed thereon and secured thereto, providing a multi-layer material. The two layers are preferably rst secured together adhesively and are also stitched along a multiplicity of lines which intersect each other, defining small surface areas or panels which are outlined by the lines of stitching and preferably in part at least also by the perforations. The backing layer preferably contrasts in color with the surface of the cover layer being exposed to view through the perforation in said last mentioned layer, and the stitching also preferably contrasts in color with the exposed surface of the material thus adding to the ornamental effect and serving to sharply dene each of the multiplicity of small areas or panels simulating metal mesh on the decorative side of the material. There results from this construction a decorative material having the appearance of metal mesh.

The invention and the method of practicing same will be clearly understood from the following description considered with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a piece of ornamented leather embodying the present invention Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the 2-2 of Fig. 1; y

Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Fig. 1, showying other forms in which the invention may be embodied.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the ornamented leather made in accordance with the present invention comprises an upper layer `III of thin kidskin, or other suitable flexible material, having its outer surface I2 provided with a film or other covering of suitable ornamental substance, preferably metallic leaf or film such as gold leaf permanently and securely applied thereto. Said layer l is also provided with a multiplicity of small openings or perforations I4 arranged in accordance with a desired design. Layer IU is secured to a backing layer I6 of thin flexible leather or other suitable sheet material. l Said layers are xed together insuperposed relation, preferably by adhesive and also by a plurality of lines of stitching I8 which pass through both layers and intersect each other defining a multiplicity of panels or small areas on the surface of ornamented layer I0. Layer I6 preferably contrasts in color with the exposed surface of layer Ill and stitching I8 also preferably contrasts in color with the exposed surface of said layer IIJ. Said stitching preferably matches the color of layer I6 visible through openings I4. Stitching I8 is arranged in groups of parallel lines, and the lines in one group intersect the lines of stitching in the other group and being spaced from each other and arranged in alignment with openings I4. As a result of this construction and arrangement, the panels 20 on the upper surface of layer I0 impart to the material the appearance of metal mesh although it will be understood numerous other pleasing designs may be provided by the variable arrangement of the perforations or the lines of stitching or by both the perforations and lines of stitching. By way of illustration it may be stated that when the panels are about onefourth of one inch wide and the perforations are about one sixteenth of one inch in diameter, a desirable mesh-like appearance is derived.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing, the perforations in the upper layer I0 are arranged substantially as shown, there being in each panel 20 a central perforation 2l in addition to the perforation I4 provided in the material illustrated in Figs. l and 2. In other respects the material shown in Fig. 3 is the same as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the upper layer I0 is provided with a multiplicity of perforations 22 arranged in diamond formation and the lines of stitching 24 line .ai i

are arranged in angular relation, defining triangular shaped panels 26. In other respects the material illustrated in Fig. 4 is the same as the material shown and described in reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

While I have shown several forms of the invention, it will be understood that the latter may be embodied otherwise than as here shown, and that certain changes in the construction and arrangement of parts and elements may be made and will occur to those skilled in the art, particularly in View of the present disclosure. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited precisely to the forms of the invention as here shown or described or to any of them except as may be required by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Ornamental sheet material comprising an outer layer of thin sheet material provided with a multiplicity of closely spaced small perforations of similar outline, a backing layer of thin sheet material visible through said perforations and having a color which is different from the color of the outer surface of said outer layer, said perforations being arranged in parallel rows extending transversely of the sheet and in parallel rows extending longitudinally of the sheet, and transverse and longitudinal parallel lines of stitching s passing through said outer and backing layers in line with said transverse and longitudinal rows of perforations, respectively, and combining with said rows of perforations to divide said outer layer into a multiplicity oi small panels of similar outline whereby the outer layer has a mesh-like appearance.

2. Ornamental sheet material comprising an outer layer of thin leather provided with a multiplicity of closely spaced Small perforations of similar outline, a backing layer of thin sheet material visible through said perforations and having a color which is diiferent from the color of the outer surface of said outer layer, said perforations being arranged in parallel rows extending transversely of the sheet and in parallel rows extending longitudinally of the sheet, and transverse and longitudinal parallel lines of stitching passing through said outer and backing layers in line with said transverse and longitudinal rows of perforations, respectively, said stitching having the same color as the portions of said backing layer visible through said perforations in the outer layer, and combining with said rows of perforations to divide said outer layer into a multiplicity of small panels of similar outline whereby the outer layer has a mesh-like appearance.

3. Ornamental sheet material comprising an outer layer of thin leather provided with a multiplicity of closely spaced small perforations of similar outline, a backing layer of thin sheet material visible through said perforations and having a color which is diierent from the color of the outer surface of said outer layer, said perforations being arranged in parallel rows extending transversely of the sheet and in parallel rows extending longitudinally of the sheet, and transverse and longitudinal parallel lines of stitching passing through said outer and backing layers in 

